A guided tour can be the most effective way of introducing your library or information service to a new user. It can also be mind-numbingly boring and pointless, reinforcing all the negative stereotypes of librarians. Plan it carefully!

Good guided tours enable the learners to understand how and why to use a library and information service, and most importantly, the tour will help them to visualize how they will do this for themselves. Try to start from the standpoint of the learner, and find out a little bit about them. Have they ever used this library before? Have they been into the building on a campus tour (in the case of students)? What is their programme of study? Have they used libraries much?

It can be helpful to see the guided tour as a story about how your learners will encounter the service. Remember that the mechanics of how to find and borrow a book, log on to computers, and print or photocopy will be important to them, especially as many of the procedures will be specific to your own library. The users will also want to get a sense of where their resources are and how the different kinds of space are used. Libraries are often overwhelming places to new users, and you need to break down your learners’ barriers and help them make the most of the services and resources available.

If possible, find ways of making the session interactive. Take a library card so you can demonstrate how to borrow a book, get members of the group to search the library catalogue, and set someone a task to find a book on the shelf.

Think very carefully about the tone you adopt and the language you use. Library jargon should always be explained if its use is unavoidable. Use clear and simple sentences, and try to personalize it if appropriate. Do not avoid the difficult questions – ‘Yes, you will need to buy some books’ – but focus always on the positive. Remember, libraries are focal points for learning, and they change lives and opportunities. You are an advocate for the wonder of all libraries.